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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28863675">Moden Day Robinhood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikkitten/pseuds/Nikkitten'>Nikkitten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Character Death, Diego Hargreeves Needs A Hug, F/M, Hurt, No Romance, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Public Sex, Racism, Revenge, Sexual Content, Shameless Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:48:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,206</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28863675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikkitten/pseuds/Nikkitten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Okay, before we get into this story, major warnings, there is a major death scene for the original character, this isn't a lovey dovey romance story. It's got a lot of hurt and conflict. It ain't gonna be a fuzzy read, so buckle in lads, lassies, and everyone in between. Hopefully you like it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Diego Hargreeves &amp; Reader, Diego Hargreeves/Original Female Character(s), Diego Hargreeves/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Leaving Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <br/>
  <em>Diego never knew his birth mother, given he was bought by Sir Hargreeves as a newborn. One day he had enough of the emotional abuse and manipulation, so he broke into Hargreeves office and read through his file. He found his birth mother’s name and that she lived in Texas, right on the border of Mexico. He was almost giddy, but knew he couldn’t just up and leave yet, he was only 15 at the time. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Years pass and the abuse doesn’t get any better, he drew the line when Ben died and didn’t give a shit about anything else. He packed what he could carry and hitchhiked down to Texas from the academy. It took him a week to get there and he did odd jobs to make a little money to buy food for himself. By the time he got to the town his mother was supposedly living in he almost immediately felt at home. He didn’t know Spanish so the other kids around his age trying to talk to him in Spanish went right over his head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He quickly picked up some words as he spent more time there, started hanging with the kids, he helped them with their English and they in return taught him some Spanish so he could fit in a little better. He got particularly close to one of the girls who was shy and awkward, but he thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world, not that he was going to tell her that he liked her. Her name was Alicia, and how he loved the way her name rolled out of his mouth when he called out for her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After about a month of hunting for the right address he came across a house in shambles, he double checked the address and it was correct. 563 Wine Crest…the place he was born. He snuck into the house, which wasn’t hard, and looked around. There were a few pictures, the woman looked similar to him, same eyes, a similar nose, a familiar smile. He pocketed the picture without much thought and kept going. He found another picture of the woman with a little baby in her arms, she looked happy, but tired. He pocketed that picture as well.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Once he made it through the house, he found a name, Maria Santiago, on an unopened letter. He figured this must have been his birth mother’s name, so he set out to do a little more research. He made his way back outside and into the sunlight he headed towards the empty house he had been staying in with the other street kids since he had arrived in town. He asked one of the kids he knew if he knew about Maria and showed the picture. The kids smile faltered and he nodded.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They set out to the graveyard and the kid showed him the grave stone. Maria Santiago 1965-1993. She died a couple of years after he was born, no one knew exactly what happened, she was fine one day, the next she was gone. Diego immediately knew what happened, she probably tried to get him back, and there was no way Hargreeves would let that happen. He had to take care of her. Diego spat angerly at the ground and turned away, leaving his friend standing there looking confused.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Alicia found him later and invited him to come to her house, she had extra clothes, and would let him take a shower. He hadn’t showered in who knows how long and his clothes were absolutely disgusting, so he almost immediately agreed. He started spending most of his time at her place and absolutely loved her mother, who insisted on him calling her Tìa, he didn’t mind. Little did he know, this slice of happiness wouldn’t last for too much longer.</em>
</p><p>He stood at a grave, flowers in his hand, he stooped and set the flowers down carefully. He straightened back up and wiped his hand across his eyes and took a deep breath. After a moment he put his hand on the lady’s shoulder that was standing beside of him “Let’s go, Tía…” He spoke softly as he guided her away from the grave. “Alicia wouldn’t want us to wallow.” She spoke up, more to remind herself rather than to remind him.</p><p>It had been ten years since he lost her, but every year he came back to visit and sometimes he’d sit and just talk, telling her about his life and what he had been up to. As they walked through the front door, he dropped a kiss on Tía’s cheek before turning towards the room he stayed in when he visited, he didn’t feel like talking, he needed to get back out there and finish the job he had started. After darkness fell, he snuck out the window, taking all his stuff with him. </p><p>She knocked on the bedroom door only to find the bedroom empty when the door swung easily open. She smiled sadly at the neatly made bed and empty room before noticing an envelope addressed to her sitting on the dresser. She picked it up and opened it, reading the letter inside. Her breath hitched a little as she read, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. He chose to write in Spanish because she still had trouble with English, even though he wasn’t exactly fluent in it.</p><p>
  <em>Tía,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Te quiero…y lo siento. Gracias por cuidarme. Sé que es difícil lidiar conmigo a veces. Prometo que estaré a salvo. No tienes que preocuparte por mí. Estoy trabajando en una manera de cuidar de ti. Me gustaría poder quedarme más tiempo. Por favor, cuídate mientras estoy fuera, Me perdería si te pasara algo a ti también. Alicia te cuida todos los días, siempre puedo sentirla cuando estoy aquí. Te quiero, tía, y de nuevo lo siento por todo. No sé cuándo volveré, tengo mucho trabajo que hacer antes de poder volver. Esperemos que no golpee ningún problema y puede volver pronto. Voy a terminar esta carta aquí, volveré tan pronto como pueda. Quédate a salvo, Tía, por favor.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>                                                                                         Amor, Diego</em>
</p><p>She wiped her eyes with a watery smile and sat the letter down shaking her head a little bit. She wasn’t actually his Aunt, but she took care of him when he showed up on her doorstep as a lost 17-year-old that was a friend of her daughter’s. She caught him on multiple occasions sleeping in her room, but she knew it was because she provided him with safety and comfort and helped him sleep. He deeply loved her daughter and was absolutely heartbroken when she was gunned down by bigoted white kids who were drunk.</p><p>He saw it happen and tried to help her, she remembered that night when he finally came home covered in blood and not able to speak. Something broke in him that night and he was never the same. She could never get the image of him shaking as he tried to scrub the blood off of his hands, the choking sobs ripping from his throat. She grieved in her own way, she had a memorial set up on her fireplace that had pictures and memories placed within. She prayed every day to make sure Alicia knew she was still loved and that they hadn’t forgotten her. She had to be strong for Diego at first, until he became colder and more distant. </p><p>It broke her heart to see him like that, and she didn’t know what to do to help him. He was just starting to come into himself and becoming more confident, much with the help of Alicia, only to have her ripped away from him. She sighed as she lost herself in her thoughts and sat down in her favorite chair. She looked up at the little alter she made for Alicia and closed her eyes, saying a little prayer for her daughter.</p><p>Meanwhile Diego was laying low after breaking into a crooked jewelry store that was selling stolen jewelry. He sighed as he counted the cash he found in the secret back room, he didn’t touch the jewelry because that could be traced, he also dropped a tip into the police, taking pictures and developing them himself before putting that and other evidence he collected into an envelope and dropping it off at the station under cover of the dark of the night. </p><p>He listened to the police scanner he had and smirked to himself when he heard the announcement go out to storm the store, his work was done there. He targeted that store because it was definitely connected to the men who shot and killed Alicia. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to track the actual people down, they were very well connected and had went into hiding, they didn’t even get charged or arrested. His lip curled upward in anger and he tossed a knife across the room in frustration, making it go through a picture of the two men, slicing through both of their printed faces.</p><p>He rolled over and set the bag of cash aside, not proud of the theft but also not caring too much because it was stolen to begin with, he was planning on donating most of it and giving some to Tía. He promised to take care of her, like he had been for the last 10 years since he left her house on his mission to take these men down. He knew that he was also on the police radar, so he knew he needed to lay low until the heat died down, if he didn’t want to be found, he wasn’t going to be. He always paid everything in cash, he didn’t have a credit card or bank account, he didn’t have his name on any rental papers or own any property, he’d go from motel to motel not using his real name and always paying in cash.</p><p>He closed his eyes after turning the lamp off and rolling onto his stomach. He put his arms under his pillow, a knife set strategically so that he could grab it at any time and let his mind drift so he could try to get some semblance of sleep. When he finally did fall asleep images of Alicia invaded his dreams, memories and fantasies mixed together in the best, yet worst, dream/nightmare ever.</p><p>
  <em>“Diego!” She grinned as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, their lips connecting almost immediately after he walked through the door. He hummed contently smirking against her lips before pulling away. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Mm…I should go away more often if this the greeting I get when I come back.” He teased and let his hands wander down and grip her plump buttocks making her giggle and she nuzzled her nose against his, a soft smile on her lips. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I love you, Diego.” She hummed and he kissed her again pulling her close walking backwards pulling her towards his bedroom, his way of saying “I love you too” without needing to speak. She willingly followed without breaking the kiss and shut the door behind her with her foot. </em>
</p><p>The sweet dream morphed into a nightmare and he groaned out in his sleep, not that anyone could hear him calling out his love’s name. A cold sweat broke out on his body as he was forced to remember his last moments with the woman, he loved with all his heart.</p><p>
  <em>“Alicia…no…” His voice broke as he held her in his arms, tears trailing down his face as he tried to apply pressure to her wound waiting for the ambulance to arrive to help her. “Querida, please…hang on just a bit longer help is on the way.” He pleaded pointlessly as she struggled to breathe.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She reached her hand up to cup his cheek, only to smear blood on his face, and gave him a weak smile. “It’s okay, Corazón, te amo…” She whispered her voice barely audible now. She barely had the energy to hold her eyes open. “Let go, amorico, it’s okay.” She reassured him as he let out a choked sob and gently laid her down, still trying to stop the bleeding. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her eyes fluttered closed and he felt his own heart stop at that moment. “No, baby, no…please!” He all but yelled and shook her a little, smearing blood on the clean part of her white shirt. She didn’t open her eyes again and her last breath was more of a gurgle as blood trickled out of her mouth. Her heart had stopped beating, and she was no longer breathing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He let out an agonizing scream as he held her body against his, not caring that he was covered in her blood. It should have been him, she was innocent, she had never done anything wrong in her life other than being born with brown skin. He sobbed and clutched her to him even as the ambulance arrived, the paramedics had to gently coax him to let her go.</em>
</p><p>He sat bolt up right as her body left his arms within the dream and choked back a scream as the memories, he tried to keep pushed down resurfaced. He rubbed a shaking hand over his face and took a deep breath to steady himself. He gulped down some water from the glass he had forgotten to take away from beside his bed after swinging his legs over the edge letting his feet hit the floor. </p><p>The cold of the wood helped shock him back to reality and he let his eyes close for a moment before opening them again taking another deep breath. His hands slowly stopped shaking and he stood up and shuffled tiredly to the bathroom. He turned the water on fully cold and didn’t bother getting undressed before stepping in and letting the cold water run over him. He felt the tears prickling the inside of his eyes and he let them flow down his face, the water mixing with them and washing them away. She was gone, she had been gone for a long time, there wasn’t anything that could bring her back to him. </p><p>Sometimes he can hear her laugh, or he catches a glance of her from the corner of his eye and his heart skips a beat every time, only to come back from that and realize, she wasn’t there. He slammed his fist into the tiled shower, busting his knuckles and letting the water run red off of his hand. He didn’t feel the pain, he just felt incredibly numb. He stared at his hand and laughed humorlessly. “Nothing compared to what happened to her…” He mumbled to himself and sniffled a little before turning the water off. </p><p>Finally, he stripped off his soaking wet clothes and tossed them into the tub, wrapping a towel around his waist. He went back into the bedroom area and pulled on his “work” clothes after bandaging his injured hand. Once he was redressed, he looked towards the door, he had been here for almost a week, it was time for him to move on. He quickly packed his stuff back into his bag, tossing his wet clothes into the trash, he didn’t need them anyway. Once he went out the door, he didn’t look back, he had other things on his mind. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Onwards and Upwards I Guess</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is explicit, there is sex, it's not implied. Who is this woman he meets and is there more to her than meets the eye? Keep reading to find out. We see a little more of his relationship with Alicia, what more will we find out? :3</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>New day, new town, new people. He quickly found the skeeziest motel in town and checked in, the name he gave was obviously fake but the clerk didn’t question it. He took his bag to the room and tossed it into the chair before flopping down on the bed. Images of Alicia try to flash across his mind and he shoves them down, not right now, he chided himself and punched the pillow to make it more comfortable to lay on.</p><p> </p><p>His plan was to a little rest, then he would plan his next target. When sleep eluded him he shoved off the bed and looked out the window, perfect, it was dark now. He grabbed his gear and his mask, sliding it into his pocket before heading out into the night. He ended up at a bar that was a little empty but still had some people in it.</p><p> </p><p>He sat down at the bar and ordered a drink, not that he planned on actually drinking it. He watched everyone in the bar carefully, seeing if one of them might be helpful in getting information, that was the goal here, not to get drunk. He hated drunk people, they took away one of the most important things to him. He pretend to take a sip then quickly set it back down as a woman caught his attention.</p><p> </p><p>She was staring at him and a crooked smirk appeared on his face as their eyes locked. She was curvy, short, had reddish-brown hair that stopped right below her shoulders. Her storm grey eyes were entrancing as was her soft looking skin. He licked his lips as his thoughts clouded over, he hadn’t been with anyone in a while so his body was definitely reacting more than he liked. He tore his eyes away and pretended to take another sip of his drink.</p><p> </p><p>He willed her to not walk over to him, he would probably end up sleeping with her if she did, he just had that feeling he would end up losing his sense of self, and wouldn’t be able to say no if she offered. He exhaled sharply as she made her way towards him and cursed inwardly. Was he blessed or cursed? He wanted this, sure, he needed to get some sort of release that wasn’t by his own hand, but he also hated one night stands, he longed for intimacy and closeness. There was no way he was letting someone get that close to him again, he wasn’t about to let himself get hurt again.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, sweetheart, takin’ it slow tonight?” She grinned as she slid onto the stool beside of him, inclining her head towards his still full drink. He shrugged and hesitated for a moment, not sure if he wanted to actually engage in conversation, he hated small talk. He was digging the slight hint of an Irish accent, not something he expected around here.</p><p> </p><p>“Name’s Janey, and you’re not from around here are ya?” She continued to try to talk to him and he pursed his lips, side glancing at her, his eyes drifting to her well displayed breasts. She wasn’t dressed tackily, her clothes fit her perfectly, showing off her body in the best way imaginable. He exhaled through his nose and threw on a smirk to cover his inner conflict.</p><p> </p><p>“Diego, and nope, no local.” He chuckled saying the second part in a Spanish accent, and actually took a gulp of his drink, trying not to choke at the burn in his throat. He bit the bullet and decided to talk to her. She laughed at his awkward demeanor and gently sat her hand on his. This was a woman who definitely knew what she wanted and was going after it. He almost recoiled from her touch but didn’t because she was actually very warm and it felt nice.</p><p> </p><p>Ignoring his inner thoughts, he turned his hand so that her hand was in his palm and he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb gently. “What made you come over here?” he asked quietly, already knowing the answer. A soft blush crept across her face and he smirked a little waiting for her to answer. “You should already know that answer…” she chuckled softly and rubbed her free hand up his thigh.</p><p> </p><p>He closed his eyes at the soft touch then opened them again to look at her. “I think I have a vague idea.” He chuckled in return and stood up smoothly pulling her with him. He didn’t want to take her back to the motel room, luck has it the bathroom door locked. He pulled her inside the bathroom while no one was watching, smirking to himself at the satisfying click of the lock.</p><p> </p><p>He helped her up onto the area beside the sink and pressed his lips to hers, grinding his hips in between her legs. Soft whimpers escaped her lips at the friction and he groaned quietly as his body started heating up with arousal. His hand found her hair and he pulled her head back and attacked her neck with kisses and bites making her moan breathily. He felt her tense up against him as her breath hitched and he smirked as he pulled back. “already? I was just getting started…”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut it…” She drawled and panted slightly before she pulled him back down into another rough kiss that almost made his brain turn to mush. She pulled away and looked up at him with hooded eyes. “I didn’t say we had to stop, did I?” she added with a smirk. Oh, he liked her, too bad he was never going to see her again.</p><p> </p><p>Her hands quickly undid his belt and pulled his pants and boxers down, letting his hardness free. He bucked his hips slightly when she stroked him and felt the precum drip from his tip. “F-fuck…” he stammered out through a soft moan. She slid down off the counter in front of him, making eye contact as she wrapped her soft pink lips around the head of his hardened cock and swirling her tongue making his breath hitch. He stumbled backwards a couple steps and braced himself against the wall. He’d been with women before, but none had done…this.</p><p> </p><p>She followed him and then took him completely inside her mouth, resting her hands on his thighs for support. He tasted…interesting, salty from sweat, but also kind of sweet. The scent was almost intoxicating, maybe it was pheromones, but she couldn’t get enough. She softly rubbed her hands up and down his legs, giving him the physical connection and intimacy, he craved, without even really knowing what she was doing. He moaned as she hollowed out her cheeks and one hand gripped her hair making her move her head faster. Normally he wasn’t like this but it was almost as if his body was moving itself.</p><p> </p><p>“F-fuck…okay stop…” He stammered through another moan and she pulled away, giving his tip a little kiss and smirking at him. His face was flushed and she could feel the heat rolling off his body. It was always a sight when she could make a man almost come apart at the seams. “I want to be inside of you…” he whispered huskily and she nodded.</p><p> </p><p>He wasted no time pulling her pants and panties down, he slowly pressed inside of her after putting her back on the counter, letting out a sigh of relief she wrapped her legs around his hips. She tugged at his shirt and he let her pull it over his head. She trailed her fingers over his both, tracing scars and circling his nipples. She played with the shiny ring through one of his nipples causing him to shudder.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re beautiful…” she breathed as he finally starting to move his hips. He smirked a little and rolled his hips making sure to rub against her sensitive bundle of nerves in between her legs. “I know…” he chuckled as she moaned out his name and raked her finger nails down his bare shoulders. He hissed in pain but also absolutely loved it, pain and pleasure were his favorite things when it came to sex.</p><p> </p><p>He pulled her shirt above her head and palmed her perfectly shaped breasts, thumbing both of her nipples causing her to arch her back into his hands. He was planning on making this quick, but be decided that he could take his time, just this once. He pulled out of her almost completely before roughly pushing back in causing her to dig her nails into his arms. He growled in pleasure and the sound made her shiver. He squeezed her breasts before ducking his head down and giving each one equal attention, all while slowly rocking his hips against hers.</p><p> </p><p>“God…I figured this would just be a quickie but…I am definitely not complaining at the turn of events.” She murmured letting her head fall back in pleasure as he quickened his thrusts. His hands gripped her hips as if she was the thing anchoring him to this world, and at the moment? She kind of was. His mind was traveling elsewhere while his body was still there with Janey. She matched his movements and moaned softly as her orgasm was quickly approaching.</p><p> </p><p>He rested his forehead against hers and his eyes closed in pleasure, the slight tightening of her impending orgasm making it a little harder for him to move. Each thrust sent waves of pleasure through his body and when she completely tensed up against him and dug her nails into his shoulders he let out a ragged moan as he spilled into the condom giving a couple more thrusts and riding out their respective orgasms.</p><p> </p><p>“D-did you just…call me Alicia?” Janey asked and he froze a lump forming in his throat. He nodded slowly and averted his gaze away from her as he pulled away from her, mutely tossing the condom into the trash can after knotting it. He pulled his boxers and pants back up and redid his belt. He grabbed his shirt and quickly pulled it back on before fixing his hair in the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>He tried to exit the bathroom without having to actually address the situation but she was a little too quick. She had also gotten redressed and was standing in front of the door. “Obviously you’ve got some shit you’re going through, don’t bury it…” She looked up at him, trying to get him to meet her gaze. He shook his head and refused to look at her.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I don’t want to talk about it. It’s not your problem.” He deadpanned and grabbed her arms and moved her out of the way, unlocking the door and slinking out before she could stop him again. He didn’t stop until he was outside in his car, he sunk into the seat and hit the steering wheel in frustration making the car horn go off. He glanced up and saw her looking around outside, obviously looking for him. Tough luck, Janey, if he didn’t want found, no one could find him.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t start the car until she retreated back into the bar. He got out of that parking lot as quickly as he could and headed back to the motel. He hated that he just up and left her like that, be he wasn’t ready to reopen those wounds, even if they didn’t exactly heal correctly. He unlocked the room door and went inside, tossing his harness that he had left in the car into the chair with his bag. So much for getting information… He sighed to himself as he sat on the edge of the bed, trying to figure out his next move.</p><p> </p><p>He reached into his pocket and pulled out the little ring he always kept with him. He turned it over in his fingers looking at it from different angles and watching it reflect the light and sparkle. A soft smile played on his face as he remembered the day, he gave Alicia the ring, probably the happiest day of his life.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“ ‘Licia!” He called from the living room one snowy morning and she came in, peeking around the corner with a grin on her face. “Diego? ¿Bien, tú?” she asked, knowing full well he just wanted her attention. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Yeah, yeah, it’s all good, c’mere!” he urged and waved her over, excitement bubbling out of him. She giggled a little and walked over to him plopping down in the seat next to him. He turned towards her and fiddled with something in his hands. He swallowed nervously and took a deep breath. “Alicia…Tengo una pregunta…” he started hesitantly. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>She raised an eyebrow and blinked at him, waiting for him to continue. She knew what the question was, especially since she saw what was in his hands. He opened the little black box and showed her the ring. “I…I want to spend the rest of my life by your side…¿Te q-quieres casar c-conmigo?” he tried his best not to stutter, but failed. He also hoped he said it right, he wasn’t the best at Spanish. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>She smiled at him and cupped his face, giving him a sweet and loving kiss. “Sí, sí, there’s no one I’d rather be with, Diego. Te amo…” She grinned as she pulled away and he slipped the ring onto her finger before pulling her into a tight hug, never wanting to let her go. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Tears dripping onto his hands brought him back to reality and he wiped his face with the back of his hand. He couldn’t afford to get distracted, he needed to catch the people responsible and make them pay for what they did. He turned the ring over one last time and put it back into his pocket for safe keeping.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Her Last Secret</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Another flash back nightmare, he finds a letter left behind by Alicia. Research is being done and he spends the evening with Tìa. Enjoy!!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>With desperation he tore through the room he shared with Alicia; he wasn’t looking for anything he just couldn’t stand seeing the memories of them being together right now. He came across a little box and furrowed his eyebrows as he opened it. Inside was a little pink pregnancy test and a letter that was addressed to him. Her writing was on the outside. With shaky hands he picked up the test and realized it was positive. He tossed it across the room, breaking the plastic with the impact.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He hesitated before opening the letter to read it. Everything started crashing down around him as he read it. He couldn’t believe that she was pregnant, not only did he lose the love of his life, he lost his unborn child. He crumpled the paper in his hand, tears threatening to overflow. The words of the letter rolling over and over in his head. He sunk down to his knees, staring blankly at the crumpled paper in his hand, he could almost hear her voice, as if she was reading the letter to him herself.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Diego,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Surprise! You’re gonna be a papa. I was feeling kind of weird so I took a test…and it was positive. I know you aren’t sure about being a father, but I think you’re going to be amazing. I love you, so so so much. I can’t wait for you to meet this little one, and I’m sure they’re so excited to meet you too. This is going to be an amazing journey and I can’t wait to take it with you…I love you, Diego.</em>
  <br/>
  
  <br/>
  <em>                                                                                                                     ~Alicia</em>
  <br/>
  <em>He was supposed to be a father. He was going to have a baby, a child, someone to raise and take care of. That got taken away from him by bigoted teenagers that got ahold of their parents’ guns and thought she was an “illegal”. He remembered them hissing at her to “go back to her own country” as he walked down the street with her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He tried to get in between her and the teens but being the ball of fire she was she decided to confront them. She didn’t realize they had guns as the screaming match escalated. She started yelling in Spanish as her temper flared and he tried to convince her to walk away, especially when he saw the guns. It was too late because he saw the muzzle flash, the teens ran off, and Alicia collapsed to the ground. </em>
</p><p>He sat up with a gasp and rubbed his face hard with his hands, trying to wipe away the images behind his eyes. He let out a shaky breath and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He couldn’t keep going like this, the nightmares were getting worse every night and it was starting to catch up with him. He made his way to the bathroom stripping off his clothes as he went and got into the shower, not bothering to wait for it to warm up. </p><p>The initial cold water felt nice on his face as he closed his eyes letting it wash over him as it slowly warmed up. His muscles relaxed when the water finally warmed up and sighed at the relief as the tenseness started leaving his body. He kept the shower short and quickly got out after he was clean wrapping a towel around his waist. </p><p>His stomach grumbled and he realized he didn’t know the last time he actually ate. He sighed as he pulled on his clothes and tossed the dirty ones back into his bag. He looked through the room service menu momentarily before tossing it to the side and grabbing his keys. He made sure he had some money and stepped out the door, locking it behind him.</p><p>He found a little restaurant that looked empty and pulled into the parking lot, he turned the car off and got out, hoping they were actually open as his stomach growled again and he was getting bad hunger pains. The sign on the door said open so he pulled it open and stepped inside. He was greeted by an older hispanic lady who smiled warmly at him.</p><p>“You can sit wherever you’d like.” She informed him and he smiled back just slightly as he sat at a small table. She sat a menu in front of him and he glanced over it. He found something Grace used to make for him and decided to order that because he knew he would enjoy it. Soon enough he had his food and a cup of coffee sitting in front of him.</p><p>He thanked her when she brought the food and she patted him softly on the shoulder and oddly it felt comforting to him. He took a deep breath and quickly ate the food, not realizing just how hungry he was. He didn’t skip meals on purpose, he just…forgot to eat sometimes. The older lady brought him more when he finished his first plate and he blinked when she sat it down. </p><p>“You look skinny, you should eat. Won’t charge you for second plate.” She waved her hand at him and he gave her a grateful smile before eating the second plate of food as well. He felt more alive after getting food and a couple cups of coffee inside him. He paid the bill and left a big tip on the table before leaving, he couldn’t leave without giving them some sort of support. </p><p>His next stop was the local library, not his usual hang out but he figured he could get some sort of information, and maybe use the computer. It didn’t take long to find it, when he got inside, he looked around and headed straight to the computers. He typed in the place he was looking at into the search bar, clicking link after link, taking notes on a pad of paper as he read articles. He smirked to himself and cleared the history of the computer and even wiped his prints off the mouse and keyboard before exiting the library. Thank God for technology, it made his life much easier. </p><p>Now all that was left was to visit the place and figure out the security system so he knew how to approach his heist. He didn’t need to be caught, he had to finish what he started. He plopped into the car and rubbed his hand over his face before setting the pad of paper beside him on the front seat of his car. He started the car and drove off to his next target, he’d catch up with them one day, but he was gonna take down this crooked business that was taking advantage of the local people in town first. </p><p>He pulled into the parking lot and stopped the car. It was a small building, but a glance inside showed how much money the business made. It was decorated with expensive statues and other things. He rolled his eyes at the tacky looking décor before getting out of his car and going inside. He looked around and scoffed at the prices. It was way overpriced and he knew it, this was to take advantage of people who didn’t know any better. </p><p>He looked up trying to spot cameras, he saw a couple before covering the looking around by picking something up to inspect it. He spotted another camera behind the counter, he realized there would be no way to come in here without being caught on camera. “Hey buddy, you’re a new face.” The store owner sneered at him. Diego gave a tight-lipped smile in return and nodded.</p><p>“Passing through, thought the place was interesting looking.” He lied smoothly setting the item he picked up back in its place and adjusting it back to the orientation it was when he picked it up. “Got any knives for sale? I’m a bit of a collector.” He asked with a slight smirk on his face and a raised eyebrow. </p><p>“I might…” the owner replied and narrowed his eyes, immediately suspicious of Diego. When Diego pulled out a roll of money with a grin the owner raised both eyebrows in surprise. “I’ve got the cash, won’t have to go on record or anything.” He chuckled as the owner started grinning. </p><p>“Alright, I’ve got a special collection in the back.” He relented and Diego followed him to the back room. ‘<em>What a dumbass</em>' Diego thought to himself, not believing how lucky he was getting. This might take a little while to pull off, he had to gain this man’s trust, learn where the money was kept, then get the hell out of town. </p><p>The owner flipped the light on and a case of different knives and guns lit up. Diego whistled lowly and walked over to the lit-up display. There were multiple banned weapons on display and he grinned to himself, making note of everything that was there. He picked up a particularly interesting looking knife and turned it over in his hand. “How much?” he asked, looking back up an excited glint in his eye. </p><p>“Hundred fifty.” The owner responded and Diego shrugged, setting the money down on top of the case. He turned the knife in his hand again and nodded in satisfaction. “pleasure doin’ business with ya.” The owner drawled with a grin, knowing he had just overcharged Diego, but Diego wasn’t as stupid as the owner thought. </p><p>Soon enough they both went back out to the main lobby. “Mind if I come back tomorrow? I have a few things you might be interested in.” Diego asked, a sly grin on his face. The owner raised an eyebrow then nodded, a sly grin of his own growing on his face. “Hopefully it’s good.” He chuckled and they shook hands.</p><p>He left the store after that and chuckled to himself as he got back into his car. He secured his new knife into his harness. It was similar to the ones he already had, but he had to buy something to get a relationship started, he had spotted a safe in the back room and he knew that was where the under the table money went to. He’d be back, and that man could kiss his money goodbye. </p><p>He pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to the motel, once he was inside, he laid out all his research. He made a quick sketch of the store and circled the spots where he saw the cameras, even the ones in the back room. If he went in, he’d have to wear a full mask, not just his domino mask he kept from childhood.</p><p>He sighed and put everything aside, it wasn’t even noon yet. He didn’t know what he was going to do with the rest of his day. He pursed his lips and turned back around and went back out the door and back into his car. He wanted to see Tìa, with that thought in his head he drove down the highway towards her house. </p><p>45 minutes later he was knocking on her door, she opened it with a smile as he embraced her immediately. “Tìa…” he breathed as they wrapped their arms around each other. After a moment they pulled apart and she ushered him inside. “Perfect timing, I just finished lunch.” She grinned at him and pushed him to the table.</p><p>“You’ve lost weight, you’re so skinny!” she scolded and forced him into a chair, pushing a plate in front of him. “eat.” She commanded and he smiled sheepishly at her before digging into the food. He almost moaned at the taste; he missed her cooking when he wasn’t here. She chuckled a little and sat across from him, gazing fondly at him. </p><p>“Have you been safe?” She asked, a little bit of concern laced in her voice and he nodded, swallowing a bite of food. “Yes, Tìa, I promise.” He mumbled looking down avoiding her gaze. She cleared her throat and he immediately looked up at her. “I’ve been safe, I promise.” He repeated more clearly and she chuckled with a smile. </p><p>“You’re a good boy, Diego.” She put her hands over his and smiled softly at him. He took a shaky breath and smiled back weakly, the weight of everything making it hard for him to smile. </p><p>He felt a little better since he saw her. He spent the rest of the evening with her, they even played a board game, naturally she won. He stayed for dinner, which he gratefully ate, then headed back to the motel, even though he didn’t want to. That night he didn’t have any nightmares, and slept through the night.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Lost and Found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Diego pulls off another heist, finally catches up to one of the men, but will it go as planned? </p><p>TW: guns, blood, injury</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Told you I’d be back.” Diego grinned as he held up a bag full of weapons in his hand. The store owner rolled his eyes and motioned for Diego to follow him after flipping the open sign around to closed and locked the front door.</p><p> </p><p>Diego followed him to the back room and sat the bag down on the display case. The owner eagerly reached for the bag and Diego pulled it closer to himself. “Ah, need to know you’re good for the cash, my friend.” He chided the other man with a smirk on his face. He had him on the hook and he needed the code for the safe.</p><p> </p><p>He pretended not to watch the man put in the code, but paid very close attention while acting like he was just checking out one of the weapons he brought with him. 3-6-9-1-2 was the code, Diego made a mental note for when he came back and robbed this man blind while tipping off the police of illegal arms dealings.</p><p> </p><p>The man brought a stack of cash over that made Diego grin at him. “My kinda man, this real?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. The owner scoffed at him and handed over the stack of cash for Diego to inspect. When he was satisfied it was real, he sat it back down and slid over the bag he brought with him. It was full of rare and interesting weapons.</p><p> </p><p>“Where’d you get all this? Do you know how much this is worth?” the owner breathed in amazement and Diego chuckled. “I know it’s worth at least three times as much as I have in my hand right now, but since I’m feeling nice, just give me one more stack and I’ll be on my way. It doesn’t matter where I got it, just be glad I was willing to sell to a sleazebag like you.” He teased good naturedly.</p><p> </p><p>“You got yourself a deal, I can get so much for these…” The owner muttered distractedly and Diego took the money and was gone before the man even turned around. He laughed as he got into his car, not believing the man fell for his act. A lot of the stuff he had in the bag were cheap replicas of the original pieces, he only had very few of the real things, he surprised himself sometimes.</p><p> </p><p>He got out of there before his new friend realized he just got ripped off and couldn’t even call the cops without incriminating himself. He grinned to himself as he drove back to the motel room. He packed up his belongings into his bag and put them in the car. Once it was dark, he checked out of the hotel and geared up for his heist.</p><p> </p><p>He parked his car a few blocks from the store and walked the rest of the way there. He had more of a facial cover on than usual because there was no way he was going to avoid the security cameras. He quickly picked the lock and made his way inside. He smirked to himself as he opened the door to the back room and stepped in, he put the code into the safe and easily opened it. He took all the cash from it and stuffed it in his bag. He knew he’d have to move quickly, who knows if the owner had motion sensor alarms that he didn’t notice before.</p><p> </p><p>He took pictures of the weapons on display with his handy polaroid camera and took the pictures with him as he slunk out of the store. Once his feet hit the outside pavement, he took off running, he heard police cars in the distance so he scrambled up a ladder and onto a rooftop as he saw the flashing red and blue lights.</p><p> </p><p>He scuttled along rooftops until he made it to his car, he casually got down from the roof and into his car. He drove past the police station and dropped the envelope with the address of the store and photos within before taking off to the next town. He couldn’t stay here anymore, he needed to move on to keep suspicion off of himself.</p><p> </p><p>He stopped by Tìa’s place and dropped an envelope of cash in her mailbox before turning back into the road and heading to god knows where. He had no idea where to go next. He was at a dead end in his investigation, the men who killed Alicia were still nowhere to be found. He eventually pulled to the side of the road into a secluded area and crawled into the back of his car to stretch out, it didn’t take long for him to doze off.</p><p> </p><p>He woke up with light shining into his eyes as the sun came up over the horizon. He groaned to himself and sat up rubbing at his eyes, he slept for a few hours, he’d be able to drive more now that he was rested and could read a map in the light. He unfolded his map and squinted at the writing scrawled across it, he’d been at this for almost ten years, with very little to show for it other than cash he’d stolen.</p><p> </p><p>These men were slippery like eels, and it just made him even more determined to find them. Every time he thought he was close, they were two steps ahead of him. He sighed as he refolded his map and put it back in his glovebox as he pulled his keys out and started up the car. The engine roared to life and he pulled back onto the road.</p><p> </p><p>He arrived in the middle of Dallas after hearing of a lead on one of the men he was after. He was a CEO of a medium sized company and was screwing people over and pulling scams, paying people off with other people’s money. Diego caught a glimpse of the man coming out of his office and smirked to himself. <em>Finally</em>. He fidgeted with his gloves nervously, he’d been waiting for this day for so long, he didn’t know if he was ready.</p><p> </p><p>He followed the man back to his huge house and scoffed at the grandeur of it. “Really…?” he rolled his eyes and kept driving. He parked his car a little bit away so it wouldn’t get spotted. He’d have to wait until dark to catch him by surprise, Diego was anxious and excited at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>Once it was dark, he slipped out of his car, slapping his mask on and strapping his knives around his torso. A short walk later and he found himself scaling the dense around the house and dropping lightly to his feet on the other side, not making a sound. He looked around momentarily before quickly heading towards the window. He snorted in amusement when he found it was unlocked, he opened it and easily slid inside the window.</p><p> </p><p>He quickly took in his surroundings and furrowed his eyebrows. He looked up the stairs before approaching them and quietly going upstairs. He heard a tv playing in the bedroom and grinned to himself. <em>Perfect, he’s home</em>. The door being open helped him peer inside the room.</p><p> </p><p>Diego took one of his knives in his hand and stepped inside the room boldly, not caring if he was seen. He wanted to be seen, this man took away the life of the woman he loved. He smashed the TV and turned towards the man sitting on his bed with a half-eaten pizza and a six pack of beer.</p><p> </p><p>“Know who I am?” Diego asked, a sneer adorning his face as he pulled his mask off to fully reveal his face. The man laughed humorlessly and scoffed at him.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know the chick I was fucking last week, what makes you think I’d remember your wetback ass?” He drawled sounding bored. He reached for something Diego couldn’t see and was stopped by a flash of metal flying across the room.</p><p> </p><p>“If you want to keep your fingers, I’d keep ‘em still, asshole.” Diego warned the man who held his hands up defensively and scowled at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, I’ll bite. Who are you? What do you want?” The man asked and it was Diego’s turn to laugh humorlessly as he stepped towards the bed and yanked the man up to his feet to meet his gaze.</p><p> </p><p>“Remember that couple about ten years ago? You got into an argument with the woman…and shot her? Then ran away?” Diego spoke in an almost unnaturally calm voice as the man’s eyes grew wider by the moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Y-yeah…” The man nodded and gulped as Diego pushed him against the wall, pinning him by the throat with his forearm. A cruel smile grew on Diego’s face as he pressed harder against the man’s neck. “I’m the man who was with her.” Diego informed him not realizing the man had reached into his side table drawer and pulled out a gun. Bang.</p><p> </p><p>Diego felt a white-hot burning go through his abdomen and groaned before staggering backwards, eyes going wide as his hand went down to the wound. “F-fuck.” He stammered and quickly got out of the room and stumbled down the stairs going out the window and leaving a blood trail behind him.</p><p> </p><p>He somehow got to his car and started driving. He didn’t have a specific location in mind but he kept driving. He pulled into Tìa’s driveway and parked the car, groaning softly as he turned off the ignition. With a lot of effort, he hailed himself out of the car and fumbled with the doorknob of the front door, she never locked the door no matter how much he told her to, and as soon as he was inside, he collapsed onto the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“Diego!” Tìa gasped hearing the thump and rushed to his nearly unconscious form on the floor. “S-sorry…Tìa…” he mumbled thickly before completely passing out. She rolled him over and looked at his wound, clucking in disappointment and worry before bustling about getting first aid materials.</p><p> </p><p>It didn’t take long for her to get him patched and cleaned up. The most difficult thing was dragging him to bed since he was almost twice her size, her being a little old lady. Her neighbor helped her, without asking too many questions, and got him safely into bed. Tìa thanked her neighbor before they left and set up a chair in the bedroom they settled Diego in and sighed as she sat watching over him, praying that he would wake up and she wouldn’t lose the last semblance of family she had left.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Emotions?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nsfw in the end, but we get some cute Diego and Alicia content 💕 nothing much happens in this chapter but we learn more about this girl named Janie!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“ ‘Licia!” Diego grinned as Alicia settled herself into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and rested one if his hands on her round stomach. He felt a strong kick against his hand and she made a face as her skin stretched. She rested her cheek on his chest and kissed his neck affectionately. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“She’s strong.” She smiled against his skin and placed her hand over his. She couldn’t ask for anything better than this. She was so glad she was able to be with him, she loved him basically from the first day she met him, as cheesy as that sounds. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“If she’s anything like you, I bet she is.” He chuckled softly and held her close, afraid to let her go. She closed her eyes and shifted a little to rest her head against his chest. The sound of his steady heartbeat was calming and soothing. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>**</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“She’s so tiny…” Alicia murmured quietly holding her baby daughter in her arms. She was propped up against Diego who had his arms around her securely. She smiled softly at the little baby in her arms. Diego reached around and booped the baby’s nose with a smile on his face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“She really is…” he murmured back and chuckled. He couldn’t believe he was a father; especially given everything he has been through in his life. He looked over at the framed picture of his birth mother then looked up. “I wonder if my mother would be happy?” he thought out loud. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Definitely, she’d be so happy, baby.” Alicia reassured him and he kissed her cheek lovingly. She hummed contently and kissed the baby’s head softly and inhaled her scent. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I love you, ‘Licia.” He whispered and she giggled a little and turned so she could face him. She pressed her lips to his softly and cupped his cheek with one hand. He hummed contently and kissed her back, smiling against her lips.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>**</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Diego, amor, wake up…” Alicia’s voice sounded so far away, he could barely hear her. It was dark, he couldn’t see anything. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Alicia?” He tried to call out but the darkness swallowed the sound. He took a step forward, only to realize he couldn’t move his body. He felt his heart rate accelerate and called her name again. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You gotta wake up!” her voice came again, but it was louder this time. There was a small light that was growing. He reached out to the light and he felt his body move just a little bit.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Alicia! Where are you?” He called out desperately, his voice breaking as he spoke. He felt like someone wrapped their arms around him and he looked down to see Alicia standing in front of him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He sighed in relief and wrapped his arms tightly around her and buried his nose in her hair. “You’re here…” he breathed and felt his eyes prickling with tears. She was there, he could feel her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Diego, it’s not time yet. You have to go back.” She pulled away to look up at him with those beautiful brown eyes he loved. He shook his head, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I won’t lose you, not again.” He pulled her back close to him. She stretched up and gently pressed her lips to his, framing his face with her hands before pulling away. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Baby, you have things to finish…” She urged him and he hiccuped and looked away. She sighed and turned his face back to her and gave him a soft smile. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You gotta look out for Mama, for me, please?” She pleaded, her eyes searching his face. He inhaled sharply and swallowed before nodding. She pressed her lips to his again and he rested his hands on her hips, filling leaning into the kiss. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She pulled away much too quickly for his liking and stepped out of his grasp. “I can’t stay here, but you’ll see me before you know it.” She smiled sadly, a single tear streaming down her face as she faded. “Be safe, te amo, Diego.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He tried to go after her only to trip and land on his knees. He slammed his hand against the ground and sobbed, he lost her all over again. After a moment he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, they were very blurry. </em>
</p><p>**</p><p>“Mmnn…” He groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and brought his hand up to his face, rubbing his eyes. He looked around and saw a familiar figure sitting in a chair sleeping quietly. He furrowed his brows as he took her face him and blinked a few times.</p><p>“Janie?” He croaked, voice barely there due to lack of use and dehydration. He cleared his throat and said her name again. She jerked awake and smiled at him before standing up and making her away over to him. </p><p>“Well, well, well, sleeping beauty is awake, where’s prince charming? Didn’t he come and give you true love’s kiss?” Janie teased as she checked the bandage that adorned his abdomen. It didn’t need changed yet so she pulled the blankets back over him, even though he protested weakly. </p><p>“You know…I’m not really into guys, people seem to assume I’m bi…but nah.” He mumbled, not completely awake to comprehend the conversation. He tried to sit up but hissed in pain and flopped back onto the bed with an annoyed grunt. “Fuck…what happened to me? Where am I?” He asked, finally coming around to the fact he had no idea where he was. </p><p>“Wait…where’s Alicia? She was here…” He muttered and anxiously looked around trying to find her. His mind was still hazy so he couldn’t really distinguish between reality and what he had dreamed. Janie helped him sit up a little and raised a glass of water to his lips. He took a small sip of the water and licked his lips, sighing in relief. </p><p>“No, honey, she wasn’t…” She spoke softly and sat on the edge of the bed and he scowled at her, trying to scoot away from her. He shook his head stubbornly and crossed his arms across his chest. </p><p>“You’re ly-lying.” He stuttered, but didn’t try to get out of bed. She sighed and gently laid her hand against his forehead. “I’m sorry, Diego, but I’m not lying. I wish I was. You’re fevered…” She said the second part more to herself and reached into the bedside drawer and shook a few pills out of a bottle then handed them to Diego. “Take these.” She urged and he popped them into his mouth and she helped him take a good drink of water. </p><p>Once he swallowed down the pills, he turned his full attention towards Janie, a lost look on his face. “You’re sure she’s not here? Where…is here anyway?” He asked groggily and rested on the pillows she used to prop him up. She sighed and shook her head, she really didn’t want to break whatever little fantasy world he was in, but she had no choice.</p><p>“Diego…Alicia died ten years ago, remember? You got shot, you’re in my apartment because I tracked you down because…I need your help finding someone important to me.” She explained and his brows knitted together as the gears in his foggy brain turned and processed what she was saying. His breath quickened as the memories started washing over him. </p><p>“No…no no...” He whimpered and held his head in his hands, digging his fingers into his hair and pulling at it. Janie gently took his hands into hers and soothingly straightened his fingers out while making shushing sounds. “Alicia…” his voice broke when he said her name and a tear steamed down his face. She rubbed small circles on the back of his hands with her thumbs and started humming a soft song. </p><p>He didn’t realize at first it was a song Alicia hummed when he had a bad night, a song she learned from Tìa. Diego closed his eyes and leaned into Janie when she scooted up next to him and wrapped her arms gently around him as if he could easily break. “Did Tìa teach you that…?” he asked tiredly as he started to calm down.</p><p>“She did, said I’d probably need it to calm you down. She was right, smart old woman.” She chuckled a little bit and gently rubbed her hands up and down his arms. His hot body against hers was making her sweat, but she just wanted to help him feel better. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep again, effectively trapping her in the bed. Please don’t start falling for me… She thought to herself and resigned herself to the fact this was her life for the foreseeable future. </p><p>**</p><p>“I can walk on my own, Janie.” Diego snapped as he tried to get out of bed, immediately stumbling when he tried to put weight on his legs. He was currently sitting on the side of the bed, looking extremely annoyed. “I have to take a piss, and I’d rather not have help with that, thanks.” He mumbled and tried to stand again, this time with more success. His legs were shaky but he was able to make it the few steps to the bathroom. </p><p>Janie rolled her eyes at his stubbornness but smiled at his current mental state, which was much better today than three days ago when he first started to come around. Alicia had not been brought up since the first night, and he seemed to be healing quicker than Janie expected, given it had only been about a week since Diego was shot. </p><p>She heard a loud crash from the bathroom along with cursing that would make a sailor blush. She sighed and took a deep breath before speaking loudly. “You need my assistance, mister ‘I can do it by myself!’?” She asked, trying not grin to herself. His stubbornness annoyed and entertained her at the same time. She still hadn’t gotten around to telling him what she needed his help with yet, because he definitely needed more time to heal.</p><p>“I am fine.” He answered through gritted teeth as he hauled himself off the floor back into a standing position. He was holding his stomach when he came out of the bathroom but seemed no worse for wear. He hissed as he sat down slowly onto the bed and removed his hand to show blood seeping through the bandage. </p><p>“Damn it, Diego, you opened the wound back up!” She scolded and he shrugged and leaned back on the bed, letting her remove the bandage and check the wound. He looked pointedly away when she pulled the needle and thread out and balled his hands in the bedsheets. “I’m really sorry, but the stitches popped, I gotta redo them…I’ll numb you up, you won’t feel anything.” She put one of her hands over his and he jerked away slightly at her touch but kept gripping the sheet. </p><p>He swore under his breath when she applied the numbing cream to his skin and around the wound, it burned like a son-of-a-bitch. He stupidly tried to watch as she put the needle through for the first new stitch and felt his eyes roll to the back of his head before he passed out. She rolled her eyes and finished her work and re-bandaged the wound quickly and got him into a more comfortable position in the bed. </p><p>“Honestly…what am I supposed to do with you?” She chuckled to herself and couldn’t help but smile fondly, she had grown quite attached to her “patient” that was trapped in her bed. She wanted to help him with his goals, and hoped that maybe he could help her with the things she wished to accomplish. She tossed a blanket over him gently and grabbed the first aid kit before turning off the light and leaving the room. He needed as much rest as he could get, their tasks weren’t going to be simple ones.</p><p>**</p><p>“Okay, so you’re telling me that your brother is missing and the men who I’ve been tracking have something to do with it?” Diego asked as Janie explained to him why she had tracked him down in the first place. “Do you have any leads as to where he might have been held captive?” He added after thinking for a moment. </p><p>“Um…actually yeah.” Janie answered and pulled out a map that had different markings and dates all over it in different parts of the city. Diego looked over it with raised eyebrows and gave an impressed whistle. “He’s been spotted many times, so I decided to keep track of them by location and date…” She chuckled and he nodded, looking lost in thought.</p><p>“That’s helpful. This was the last one?” He asked, pointing towards the most recent date and location. She nodded and traced a path on the map with her finger, the route he always took to and from school, he was 16 when he disappeared. </p><p>“Yeah, he’s been seen on the street corners, I think he got roped into dealing drugs. I’m not sure how.” She sighed and folded the map up, trying not to let her emotions spill over. She was close with her brother, practically raised him, and she had no idea how to get him safe because she personally hadn’t seen him in almost four years. His 20th birthday was coming up and it made her chest ache to think about it. </p><p>“I’ll help you, least I can do. You helped get me back on my feet.” He shrugged a little and took the map from her when she held it out to him. He didn’t know the sibling bond she had, he was never close with his “family” but he had street kids he met when he came to Texas that were more like family to him than the people he was raised with. </p><p>“Thank you, Diego. I really appreciate it.” She smiled at him and dropped a kiss on his cheek without thinking much about it. He touched his cheek and raised an eyebrow at her. She shook her head and he shrugged and stowed the map in his pocket before standing up. </p><p>**(Nsfw warning!!)**</p><p><br/>“I can think of a way you can show that appreciation.” He smirked and looked her body over, mostly joking. She playfully shoved him and rolled her eyes. He chuckled and ruffled her hair before patting her butt with his hand and leaving the room. </p><p>She huffed indignantly and ran her fingers through her hair to fix it as she followed him out of the room. “Excuse me, you can’t just say something like that and leave!” She called after him. He stopped and turned to face her, a smug expression on his face.</p><p>“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Janie.” He said vaguely and she rolled her eyes at him before getting close and stretching up so that her lips were an inch from his. A smirk grew on her face before she spoke. “What if I want to…show my appreciation?” She whispered, her warm breath tickling his lips.</p><p>He gulped and felt his face heat up but he didn’t back down, if he was gonna dish it out, he better be able to take it. He looped his arms around her waist, hands squeezing her ass. “If that’s what you want…” He murmured back, brushing his lips against hers. </p><p>She looped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips roughly to his. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and bit down on it gently. She made a soft noise as he backed her against the wall and pressed against her. His hands roamed her body, groping and squeezing her breasts before moving back down and gripping her ass again. He was definitely an ass man through and through.</p><p>She arched her body against his and trailed her hands down and undid the zipper of his pants. “I don’t want to go slow…” she murmured and nipped his earlobe, tugging gently. He let her shove his pants down and hooked his fingers in her pants, pulling them down as well. She took his half hard erection in her hand and gave it a few strokes, sliding her thumb around the tip. He shuddered against her touch as he grew firmer in her hand.</p><p>“That feel good, baby?” She purred into his ear and nipped the soft skin under it. He dug his nails into her hips and moaned softly as she guided him in between her legs. Inch by inch he sunk into her until he was fully sheathed inside her. He helped her hook her legs around his hips as he braced her against the wall before he started moving.</p><p>She moaned feeling her walls stretch around his hardness and rolled her hips in time with his. He set a hard pace, taking her words to heart. He didn’t want soft and sweet either, they had needs and they had each other to fulfill those needs. She dug her nails into his shoulders and she moaned out his name, letting her head rest back against the wall. </p><p>He sunk his teeth into her shoulder when he felt her walls tighten around him. A groan escaped his lips and he let her down and pulled out of her. She shuddered a little, coming down from her orgasm, her legs shaking a little bit. He pumped himself in his hand and stifled a moan against her neck, letting himself climax into his hand. </p><p>He panted slightly, kind of ashamed of how quickly it ended. “That…was quick.” He mumbled and she chuckled a little breathlessly then kissed his cheek. “Quick and dirty, and amazing.” She reassured him and he couldn’t help but smile. “Should probably wash your hands though, honey.” She teased him and he cleared his throat before fixing his pants with his clean hand and quickly left to the bathroom to wash his hands.</p><p>She shook her head a little and pulled her pants back up before stretching a little and flopping down on her couch. She yawned and closed her eyes letting the post-sex tiredness wash over herself. She heard him come into the living room and sit down, then rustling of paper as he pulled out the map they went over earlier. “Can you relax at least for now?” She mumbled opening one eye to look at him.</p><p>“This is relaxing, go to sleep.” He rolled his eyes at her and she stuck her tongue out at him then closed her eyes again. It didn’t take long for her to actually doze off. He sighed and refolded the map, closing his eyes and shifting in the chair he was sitting in to get more comfortable, might as well get as much sleep as possible before they had to get to work on their goals.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Comin' to the Rescue!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tw: mentions of abuse and kidnapping, and abuse of a minor.</p><p>Diego and Janie go on their rescue mission to get her brother, but end up with a bit more on their hands than they expected. :3</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey, Janie, wake up.” Diego shook Janie’s shoulder gently and almost got punched in the face. Luckily, he was fast enough to dodge the punch so her fist just connected with air. He blinked a few times in amusement as she sat up sleepily rubbing her eyes. “Mornin’ sleeping beauty.” He smirked slightly and sat back. </p><p>“You’re lucky ya don’t have a black eye mate.” She mumbled and yawned, stretching out her arms and swinging her legs over the edge of the couch to completely sit up. She looked tired, and definitely rough around the edges. “What do you want?” She inhaled deeply then exhaled looking over to Diego. </p><p>“it’s…daylight out? I’ve been up for hours.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his head. Truthfully, he couldn’t sleep and the silence of the house was getting to him. It was around 10 AM, and he just couldn’t take sitting alone in the silence with his own thoughts anymore. “I made coffee?” he offered as a peace offering holding out a steaming cup to her that he had waiting on the table. </p><p>“…you’re lucky you’re pretty.” She smirked a bit and carefully took the cup of hot coffee from him, blowing on it before taking a sip. She made a noise of contentment as she swallowed the dark liquid and licked her lips. “At least you can make a cup of coffee, I’ll give ya that.” </p><p>“Well…I mean…sleepless nights kinda make you into a coffee aficionado, or some shit like that.” He laughed a little, looking up at the ceiling in thought. “Say, tell me about your brother?” He asked and looked over to the side, gauging her reaction. </p><p>“He’s one of the most selfless people I know. Give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Smart as a whip, but very much lacking in common sense. Always sees the good in everyone.” She chuckled dryly and looked down at her hands. “I…I was late to pick him up the day he disappeared…maybe if I had gotten there on time…” She sniffled and rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes. </p><p>“It’s not your fault, you didn’t plan to have those assholes kidnap your brother…” Diego softly set his hand on her knee in comfort, not really sure what else to do. He didn’t expect her to get upset, but he really wasn’t surprised at the same time. “Maybe if this, maybe if that, those are thoughts that don’t do you any good.” He admitted wryly. <em>Damn, Diego, take your own advice, asshole</em>. He thought to himself and cleared his throat, this wasn’t about him right now. </p><p>“You’re a wise old man.” She snorted in amusement, leaning back on the couch, momentary emotions locked away tight and her air of uncaring coming back in full force. “Did I tell ya I’m only 26? You’re what like…32? Old.” She stuck her tongue out at him as he stared at her in disbelief. </p><p>“Shut up…” He rolled his eyes and pushed her legs aside as he stood up. He hadn’t been around someone he got along with in so long he didn’t really know how to react. </p><p>“Also, I think it’s good you’re still in love with Alicia, because I don’t have time to unravel all the reasons it’d be bad if you fell for me. We’re fuck buddies, friends with benefits, no romantic feelings involved, that’s alright with you, yeah?” She continued, pulling her legs under her to sit “indian” style, and looked right at Diego.</p><p>“Don’t flatter yourself…I’m not the least bit interested in a relationship, too much going on, but it’ll be nice to not have to pick up random chicks anymore.” He sighed a little but smirked at her, matching her energy. “Friends with benefits sounds like a sweet deal. Kinda sucked being alone all the time anyway…” </p><p>“Okay enough chit-chat, let’s get down to business.” Janie cleared her throat and Diego nodded, pulling out the map as Janie pulled out the rest of her papers. “So, I figured…we could take different spots I know he’s been at and see if he shows back up…? Maybe if we spot him, he’ll lead us back to where ever he’s being held. There could be more kids being held there. We have to help them.” Her eyebrows knitted together in thought as she spoke. </p><p>“That is one plan, but I don’t like the idea of splitting up. That never ends well.” He furrowed his brows in thought and tapped his fingers on his leg. At one point he would suggest splitting up, but from experience and recent events, he’s learned that maybe having backup isn’t a bad idea. “But…it’ll be harder for them to spot us if we aren’t together.” He admitted, chewing on his bottom lip, tons of thoughts spinning through his head.</p><p>“Stay close but don’t make obvious contact, use burner phones for contacting each other?” She suggested, chewing on the lid of her pen as she wrote down notes on a little notepad. He blinked at her as he rolled her words over in his head then nodded.</p><p>“That could definitely work, that way we know where each other are at all times.” He agreed and gave her a grin. It really was easier to make plans when you weren’t alone. Maybe he’d keep her around for at least a little while, she could be helpful. “Just gotta get phones and choose a day and area to start…”</p><p>**</p><p>“DEVIN!” Janie screamed out of nowhere and took off running. So much for keeping a low profile. Diego groaned inwardly and took off after her, circling around the other side to block off Devin’s exit. Devin looked around wildly for a way to escape the situation before hunkering down to the ground and putting his hands over his ears. </p><p>Janie squatted down and gently put her hands over his before peeling them away and making him look at her. “Hey…it’s okay bub…” she whispered and he flung his arms around her neck, melting into her embrace. “I’ve got you.” She murmured repeatedly, not letting go of her brother. </p><p>“Okay we need to get out of the line of sight.” Diego motioned to the empty house behind them, his lips pressed into a narrow line. He was all for a family reunion, but he felt like maybe being in the open was a bad idea. </p><p>“Yeah okay…” Janie and Devin agreed at the same time and followed Diego into the abandoned house. It was dark inside but there was just enough light to see where they were walking. </p><p>“First, are you okay?” Diego asked Devin, eyeing him up and down cautiously. He was skinny and his skin looked horrible, Diego even thought he looked kind of yellow when they were out in the sun. “And second, are there more?”</p><p>“I’ve been better?” He chuckled a little and looked to the side biting his bottom lip. He didn’t know how much to tell, he was scared and very unsure. He looked over to his sister who squeezed his hand supportively and nodded softly at him. “There’s a girl…they beat her all the time…and other things…” He admitted quietly and Janie wrapped her arms around him protectively. “They tried to make me…but I never could do it…so…they…” he trailed off, and swallowed hard.</p><p>“Where?” Diego asked quickly and pulled out their map and a pen, immediately getting down to business. He was going to save this girl, even if it killed him in the end. Devin pointed to an area on the map and Diego circled it, noting the coordinates. “We’ll go at sun down. But you have to go back as much as I hate to admit it. They’d get suspicious if you didn’t return.” He groaned in frustration and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry I wish it was simpler.” </p><p>“I don’t want to go back there!” Devin urged shakily and clung to his sister who softly rubbed her hands up and down his arms to calm him down. “It’s hell…” He shuddered thinking about everything they put him through. Diego had no idea how deep these men were into the crime realm. </p><p>“It’ll only be for tonight I promise.” Diego urged, sympathy on his face. He didn’t want to send Devin back any more than Devin wanted to go back. “A few hours tops. No cops until you and the girl are safe. You won’t be mentioned.” </p><p>“Only because I want her to be safe.” Devin agreed cautiously, fidgeting with his hands anxiously. He had been through a lot in the time he was missing, almost four years. “She kept me sane. I’d do anything to keep her safe…” </p><p>**</p><p>“Fuck fuck fuck!” Diego panted as he held a girl in his arms and ran down an alleyway. He spotted a fire escape and shifted the girl so that he supported her with one arm while using the other to climb the ladder. Once he was on the roof he crouched down and tucked her against his chest putting his hand on her head protectively. </p><p>His phone vibrated in his pocket so he flipped it open and hit the answer button. “Janie, Devin, you two okay?” He whispered into the phone, being careful not to make too much noise. “Okay, good, make sure to loop around somewhere to make sure you’re not being followed. I’ll meet you back at your apartment.” He instructed before hanging up the phone and snapping it shut. </p><p>“Su nombre es, Camilla, sì?” Diego asked the girl who mutely nodded in response. She didn’t know much English, much to his dismay, he was never the best at Spanish. “No tengas miedo, soy tu amigo.” He reassured her and she gave him a slight smile. </p><p>“You…help me.” She spoke quietly and tightened her grip on his sweater. He wanted to beat those men to a bloody pulp. He knew they were assholes, but he never imagined they would go this far. “Gracias, Diego.” Those two little words almost made him break even more inside. </p><p>“No problem…” He held her closer to his body as he stood up to check the surroundings to make sure he was in the clear. He jumped to another building before climbing down the fire escape of that building and taking the back way to Janie’s apartment. </p><p>It was nearly midnight when he finally arrived and listened at the door with a knife ready in his hand as he twisted the doorknob with his other hand, Camilla holding onto him from behind like a backpack. Janie crossed the room quickly when she saw him with a big smile on her face and kissed his cheek. “Mission success!” she cheered softly then waved a little at Camilla who popped her head over his shoulder. </p><p>“Tu novia?” She asked Diego who shook his head with a chuckle before helping her down safely. </p><p>“Nah. Amiga.” He clarified and ruffled the girl’s hair. She had to be no more than 9 years old, and she was tiny. She was around the age his baby would’ve been…he shook his head then wondered if he knew her family, probably not. She had all the signs of being snatched away from Mexican immigrant parents. “Baño está aquí.” He motioned to the bathroom and her face lit up and she ran inside without hesitation. </p><p>Diego sighed heavily and flopped down on the couch holding his head in his hands. The day had taken a toll on him, emotionally and physically, he wasn’t fully recovered from the gunshot he received just over a week ago, although he did seem to heal fast. “God…” He muttered and rubbed his eyes tiredly. </p><p>Camilla came out of the bathroom and ran over to Devin who wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. It was a sweet sight. Devin had been able to shower before Diego got back with Camilla and was wearing some of his sister’s old clothes that surprisingly fit him. Janie had stopped by a store earlier and bought a few outfits for Camilla after talking about her with Devin before they had to let him go back to that hellhole. </p><p>“Hey Camilla, do you want to take a bath or shower?” Janie asked softly and Camilla nodded but didn’t let go of Devin. </p><p>“Devin goes with me?” She asked in her small voice and looked at Janie. “He keep me safe.” </p><p>“Yes, he can go in there with you, you don’t have to go in alone.” She smiled at her “I can go in there too, you’ll be double safe.” She chuckled and Camilla giggled a little and nodded.</p><p>“Diego come too?” She asked and Diego lifted his head to look at her and blinked in confusion, a thousand thoughts running through his head at her rather innocent question. “Safe.” She repeated and his heart almost melted.</p><p>“…Okay, I’ll stand guard at the door?” He smiled a little at her and her face lit up in the sweetest smile that Diego had ever seen on another person. How was this child so trusting after everything? Maybe she really did feel safe with them, and he was going to make damn sure it stayed that way. Little did he know, this girl was about to become the center of his entire existence.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(Letter translation!! <br/>chapter 1!!<br/>Auntie,<br/>I love you ... and I'm sorry. Thanks for taking care of me. I know it's hard to deal with me sometimes. I promise that I will be safe. You don't have to worry about me. I am working on a way to take care of you. I wish I could stay longer. Please take care of yourself while I'm gone, I'd be lost if something happened to you too. Alicia takes care of you every day, I can always feel her when I'm here. I love you, Auntie, and again I'm sorry for everything. I don't know when I'll be back, I have a lot of work to do before I can come back. Hopefully it doesn't hit any issues and I can come back soon. I'm going to finish this letter here, I'll be back as soon as I can. Stay safe, Auntie, please.)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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